Castle of Treasure

Chapter Five: Crossroads

Alex, John and Winsley walked off the bakery bringing with them the joy, the memory of the dinner they had had the previous evening, and the scene of Theo calling Carlos "Dad." They walked across the village, carrying two packages one of which had been taken by Winsley from the orphanage and another of which was given by their honorary mother, Andrea. Andrea made sure that they had enough of every necessity for their journey. Pastries, bread, chicken thighs, and nevertheless water were all in the pouch that she gave them. This pouch bag was far more attractive than the almost-empty other that Winsley had put together on the fateful dawn when they departed the orphanage.

The sun re-emerged and was low, casting its light over the village. In the cool and dim light of the dawn-time sun, Alex had caught sight of the new yet familiar sight of the villagers during their morning routine. People, out of their vividly colored houses, went to the marketplace to buy and sell stuff, the fishermen carrying nets and hooks went to the river, and children ran around in the pathways. The scene was so familiar to Alex that he could see himself among the east-bank people. He could be one of the children playing in the pathways, or he could be helping out inside one of the houses. Carlos's house? With Theo?

The three of them walked eastbound, while casting their glance here and there over the joyous sight of the village illuminated clearly in the golden sunlight.

"This is nothing like the orphanage, is it?" Winsley remarked.

"Yes, it is," John agreed.

"Actually, it's not that much different from the west bank," Alex retorted.

"What do you mean, Alex?" John asked.

"I mean they do quite the same things as we do on the west bank," Alex explained.

"Oh, I see what you're saying," John and Winsley exclaimed as they finally observed what Alex was trying to say.

After a small distance of traveling by foot, they encountered the place where the fishermen of the east bank made their living. Alex did not know that there was a stream in this village, a stream on whose bank the village was located. It was the source of water and fish to the villagers. A small yet strong looking, wooden, bridge connected the two ends. The trio did not hesitate to cross over on the bridge. They proceeded, and then one of the fishermen beneath shouted over at them, "You're the west banker kids, aren't you?"

"Yes," Alex spoke loudly back at him across the distance, "yes we are."

"Well, what are you kids up to?" asked another fisherman, with a net in his hand.

What are we up to? Alex thought to himself and turned his head around to his company, expecting assists from them with how they should respond. Winsley and John gave him an easy look as if they were telling him "Tell them like it is!"

"We are going to the Castle of Treasures," John and Winsley said unhesitatingly.

"Yes, yes we are going there," Alex added to the response.

The fishermen remained silent and exchanged looks among the group in confusion. "Are you sure you want to go there?" they said finally.

"Yes," John said, "we are sure."

"Is there anything we should know, Messrs. Fishermen?" Alex asked sincerely, although he did not expect to get any from them because, to Alex's understanding, no one seemed to know anything about the place.

"It's not worth the effort, kids," said one of the fishermen.

"Yeah," another added. "All these treasures that everyone talks about may or may not exist."

"After all," the third fisherman filled in, "it might just be someone's house."

Alex, John and Winsley looked at each other once again with concerns arising in their mind; Alex knew undoubtedly so.